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Canadiens Draft Options: Center Clayton Keller

By William Mccomb

Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Noah Juulsen on stage with team executives after being selected as the number twenty-six overall pick to the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Noah Juulsen on stage with team executives after being selected as the number twenty-six overall pick to the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Canadiens lack dynamic offensive prospects and that could lead them to select Clayton Keller.

So far in our Canadiens draft options, we have talked about forwards Alexander Nylander, Tyson Jost and Logan Brown as well as defencemen Jakub Chychrun and Mikhail Sergachev. All five of these players are widely believed to be top 10 options in the coming draft and all 5 would make for great picks for the Canadiens.

Clayton Keller, on a purely skill basis, should be in talk to be a consensus top 10 pick. He has elite offensive skill, great speed and is one of the smartest players in this draft. However, Keller’s lack of size has limited his draft stock and is talked about as more of a mid-1st round player.

More from A Winning Habit

Draft Rankings/Mock Drafts

Sportsnet – 13th

Draft Site – 14th

TSN Draft Rankings – 10th

ISS – 12th

McKeen’s – 14th

TSN Mock Draft – 11th

Hockey Prospect – 12th

Future Considerations – 9th

As mentioned, the only thing holding Keller back in draft rankings is his size. Most profiles list him at 5’9″ and 165-170 lbs, which makes him the smallest prospect that is a projected 1st round pick.

Despite his lack of size, Keller has done nothing but produce during his career with the US National Under-18 Team. This season alone, he posted 107 points(37 G, 70 A) in just 62 games. He also added another 37 points(13 G, 24 A) in 23 USHL games.

If that weren’t enough, at the World Under-18 Championships, Keller took over for the US squad. In 7 games, he placed 2nd in tournament scoring by posting 14 points(4 G, 10 A) and was a remarkable +11. Unfortunately, the US team lost to Finland in the semi-finals but beat out rival Canada for the bronze medal.

Keller’s offensive skills have led to some comparisons with London Knights star Mitch Marner. Bill Placzek of Draft Site offers a more in depth look at Keller’s skills.

"Smaller with a high skill set. A high speed player who acquires pucks and can generate chances for linemates almost instantaneously. Has seen time of the PK besides the PP. he is agile and the high level at which he can control the puck at top speed is a joy to watch. On his carries, he can go from the perimeter to the greasy areas and see his options and make plays. Has an excellent release and shot. Both confident and patient with the biscuit."

Craig Button of TSN is a huge fan of Keller’s and is one of the few draft analysts that view him as a surefire top 10 selection.

"Clayton Keller (No. 8) is an excellent player who has the skills, brain, competitiveness and confidence to not only impact the game, but to also dictate significant portions of offensive play. The U.S. NTDP centre has panorama vision – there is no play he doesn’t see and he is always dangerous even when it may appear that he isn’t. Keller controls the game and brings out the best abilities of those he plays with."

Odds he is Available to Canadiens at 9th – High

Keller, if available, should be on the Canadiens shortlist of draft prospects. His dynamic offensive skills make him a very good prospect. It’ll be interesting how Keller’s draft day unfolds as some may be scared off ue to his size while others could take the chance and get a quality prospect.

Next: Canadiens Draft Options: Center Logan Brown

The only real “issue” is his size. Unfortunately, the Canadiens are viewed with this smurf narrative despite the fact they have only had David Desharnais and Brendan Gallagher as undersized regulars over the past few seasons. It is an undeserved narrative that fit the team several seasons ago but the stigma has stuck. Regardless of the size of Keller, he would instantly become the Canadiens best offensive prospect.

Much like Tyson Jost, Clayton Keller has an NCAA commitment to Boston University. Also like Jost, it should also be mentioned that if he played out his 4 years at BU and decided not to sign with the Canadiens, he could become an unrestricted free agent. Again, just like Jost, the odds of that happening are very slim.

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